Application gaps in Psychology

Representative open questions

Showing 30 of 69 — one per source paper, highest-quality first.

• Provoking or backfiring? A contingent model of how abusive supervision influences learning from failure through fear (2026) · doi

  The cognitive-affective reappraisal training intervention is proposed to de-link interpersonal abuse from task appraisal, but the study does not specify the training content, delivery method, duration, or provide experimental validation comparing reappraisal training outcomes against control conditions in abusive supervision contexts.

• High-Dimensional Perception with the Double Machine Learning Lens Model (2026) · doi

  The DML-LM framework is proposed to model informant discrepancy by treating each perceiver's judgment policy distinctly, but the paper does not empirically test this application or provide specific methodology for quantifying cue utilization variability across multiple informants (e.g., parents and teachers) using high-dimensional behavioral narrative data.

• Relational energy and coping flexibility among Chinese university students: the mediating role of optimism and the moderating influence of cognitive reappraisal (2026) · doi

  The conditional indirect effect of the moderated mediation model (relational energy × cognitive reappraisal → optimism → coping flexibility) is reported as comparatively small in magnitude. Future research using longitudinal or experience-sampling designs should investigate whether this subtle effect accumulates to produce meaningful psychological benefits when experienced repeatedly across daily academic interactions.

• Adversity and Resilience in Children With Moderate-to-profound Intellectual Disabilities: A Multi-source, Multiple-case Study Across Developmental Stages (2026) · doi

  Table 8 and Table 9 document parental meaning-making and reframing of childhood adversities, but the paper does not specify which narrative reframing strategies (e.g., 'stand my ground,' 'heavy backpack yet strong family') correlate with improved parental mental health outcomes, reduced burnout, or enhanced advocacy for children with moderate-to-profound intellectual disabilities. Targeted intervention studies testing narrative restructuring approaches are absent.

• Role of Recognition and Appreciation in Strengthening Employee Commitment: A Study of Automotive Firms (2026) · doi

  The study measured agreement with statements about formal celebration of achievements (15.0% neutral, 10.0% disagree, 8.3% strongly disagree) but did not investigate which specific types of formal events (departmental ceremonies, company-wide awards, peer recognition forums) are most effective or preferred by automotive sector employees. Qualitative research examining employee preferences for recognition formats in automotive contexts would inform the design of recognition programs.

• A Qualitative Exploration: Black Women Living with Depression (2026) · doi

  The study demonstrates that adverse racial experiences with healthcare professionals impact Black women's utilization of mental health services, but does not quantify the relationship between specific racial stressors in healthcare encounters and subsequent help-seeking behavior for depression. Future research should measure the dose-response relationship between types of racial discrimination experiences and changes in mental health service utilization patterns among Black women.

• Information Foraging With Generative AI: Usage Patterns in Germany and Israel (2026) · doi

  The study identified a concerning pattern where users with high perceived benefits and low epistemic knowledge accessed complex, high-stakes science-related information through GenAI, but the specific mechanisms driving this behavior and effective interventions to improve epistemic literacy have not been investigated. Future research should experimentally test educational interventions targeting GenAI epistemic limitations in science information seeking.

• A Competency Based Recruitment Mechanism using Cognitive Taxonomy and Vectorization Techniques (2026) · doi

  Multi-domain expansion is mentioned as a future enhancement to support different industries, but the paper does not address how the cognitive taxonomy framework will be adapted or extended across industries with different competency requirements and skill hierarchies.

• Influence of playing Roblox on learning engagement and emotional well-being of students in Divine Word College of San Jose (2026) · doi

  While the paper identifies that collaborative and goal-oriented gameplay may encourage self-respect and responsible behavior (citing Corbitt & Becker, 2024; Damanhuri & Wali, 2024), it does not empirically measure which specific Roblox game types, tasks, or social structures most effectively foster these outcomes. Future studies should conduct comparative analysis of different Roblox game categories (creation games vs. social games vs. educational simulations) and their differential impacts on learning engagement and emotional well-being.

• Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours towards schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, and epilepsy in Ireland: a national survey (2026) · doi

  Preliminary findings from a parallel study in Liberia using the same survey instrument show relatively higher acceptance of schizophrenia compared to other conditions, contrasting with Irish patterns. Direct cross-cultural comparisons between Ireland and countries like Liberia are needed to identify which social, cultural, and contextual factors shape divergent stigma profiles for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, and epilepsy.

• The Psychology Behind Online Anonymity and Toxic Behaviour (2026) · doi

  The paper advocates for pseudonymous reputation systems that balance anonymity with accountability in anonymous platforms. However, it does not specify how such systems should be evaluated in terms of preventing catfishing, deception, or toxic behaviour, nor does it detail the computational requirements or algorithmic approaches needed to track reputation while maintaining cryptographic anonymity.

• Living with loss: environmental grief, solastalgia, and young adults’ experiences after wildfires (2026) · doi

  The study indicates that psychological indicators of trust and grief should be integrated into disaster management protocols as early warning signals of social vulnerability, but no operational framework exists for translating environmental grief assessment into actionable institutional accountability mechanisms within regional planning processes for Mediterranean basin fire risk.

• CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE AS A PREDICTOR OF WORK ENGAGEMENT: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN HOTELS (2026) · doi

  The study was conducted only in Zimbabwe; the relationships between cultural intelligence, servant leadership, and work engagement may differ substantially in countries with different working environments, labor regulations, and cultural norms. Replication studies in geographically and culturally distinct nations (e.g., developed versus developing economies, different cultural clusters) are needed to establish the cross-cultural validity of the mediation model.

• Effect of Work-Integrated Learning and Instructor Skills on Vocational Graduates' Work Readiness: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy (2026) · doi

  The paper emphasizes that WIL programs should include 'progressively challenging levels' of experiences to maximize self-efficacy development, but provides no empirical evidence or framework for determining what constitutes appropriate progression in task difficulty or how to measure mastery experiences across different industry partner contexts in vocational training.

• Interpreting Polygenic Prediction of Cognitive Ability: Evidence for Direct, Reliable, and Portable Genetic Effects (2026) · doi

  Disease prediction analyses tested 19 non-overlapping conditions across multiple biological systems using imputed parental polygenic scores within sibling sets. However, systematic investigation of whether cognitive ability PGS effects on disease outcomes vary by specific diagnostic categories (e.g., neurodevelopmental vs. cardiovascular vs. metabolic diseases) or by age-of-onset patterns remains absent.

• Emotion regulation success involves systematic gradient-based reconfigurations of large-scale activation patterns in the human brain (2026) · doi

  The comparison between single-metric Euclidean distance (ΔED) and individual gradient-specific change scores (Eq. 2) was evaluated using AIC model fit, but differential predictive validity or clinical utility of dimensional versus gradient-specific approaches for emotion regulation assessment across clinical populations has not been examined.

• Exploring the Antidepressant Properties of Essential Oils: A Natural Approach to Mental Well-Being (2026) · doi

  The paper proposes that essential oils can be self-administered in community settings as complementary treatments for depression, but lacks specification of optimal dosage, frequency, duration of treatment, delivery method (inhalation vs. topical vs. oral), and safety monitoring protocols required for real-world implementation.

• Examining Healthcare Workers' Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Status (2026) · doi

  While the study identified that female healthcare workers demonstrate significantly higher artificial intelligence configuration anxiety and sociotechnical blindness than male participants, no gender-differentiated intervention studies have been conducted to test the effectiveness of gender-specific training and information activities in reducing artificial intelligence anxiety among women in healthcare settings.

• The silent accumulation: AI as mental contaminant (2026) · doi

  Governance innovations including effect boundary specification, adaptation monitoring, and circuit-breaker mechanisms for continuously evolving AI systems require pilot testing and policy experiments to assess their effectiveness and democratic legitimacy before broader implementation across technology platforms.

• Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Employees: Assessing Mental Health Stigma, Culture, and Needs (2026) · doi

  The organizational anonymity system at CSIS (use of first names only, limited cross-unit knowledge) prevents peer recognition of mental health support needs and peer-based support activation. Future research should evaluate whether modified anonymity protocols, anonymous peer referral systems, or third-party wellness monitoring mechanisms could improve early detection of employees requiring mental health support while maintaining security protocols.

• The Method of Loci: A Survey Review (2026) · doi

  Virtual reality implementation of the Method of Loci has been tested only in healthy older adults with memory complaints (Boller et al., 2021); systematic evaluation is needed in ADHD populations and schizophrenia patients who show documented impairments in sustained attention and strategic memory encoding, to determine whether VR-enhanced spatial encoding alleviates their specific mnemonic deficits.

• Can ethical artificial intelligence aid infant and young child feeding support during conflict? A review of the experience and lessons learned from FHI 360′s in Ukraine (2026) · doi

  Further examination of AI governance, risk mitigation, and content adaptation processes would inform ethical expansion of similar systems in diverse emergencies.

• Artificial intelligence anxiety, digital well-being, and future career concerns among engineering and information technology students in Jordan (2026) · doi

  The study calls for alignment between academic preparation and Jordan's AI strategy, but specific mechanisms for institutionalizing this alignment and measuring its effectiveness are not detailed.

• Mindcare AI: Transforming Mental Health Support with AI (2026) · doi

  Some users tended to follow the AI's suggestions without critical assessment, underscoring the need for balanced information and the preservation of individualised care.

• Investigating the Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Success in Chemistry Courses (2026) · doi

  While the paper identifies time management as a challenge for 14.2% of students, there is no empirical investigation of the effectiveness of proposed institutional interventions such as workshops or time management tools.

• Cannabis use frequency may differentially impact cognitive performance in young adults with and without HIV (2026) · doi

  Intervention studies are needed to test whether altering immune and inflammatory processes through cannabis or other therapeutic mechanisms could address ongoing effects of HIV on CNS functioning.

• Impact of subanesthetic ketamine delivered via AmyloLipid nanovesicle (ALN)-based intranasal system on biobehavioral responses in an animal model of PTSD (2026) · doi

  Translational gap between animal models of PTSD and clinical efficacy in human populations requires additional comparative studies across different trauma exposure paradigms.

• Using artificial intelligence technology in virtual court procedures (2026) · doi

  Difficulty in handling cases requiring human qualities such as emotional understanding, intuitive judgment, and contextual reasoning that exceed AI's current cognitive capabilities.

• Human–machine knowledge building: reconceptualising knowledge building partnerships in the age of artificial intelligence (2026) · doi

  Educational programs currently emphasize functional and operational reckoning skills over reasoned judgement and decision-making capabilities needed for AI-augmented environments.

• Ethical AI for Disaster Resilience: Centering Frontline Communities (2026) · doi

  Establishing governance frameworks that include community representation in AI systems for disaster contexts needs further development and implementation.